Back into the fray, chaps

North Ryde resident and former Prisoner of War Joyce Bradbury heads to China to celebrate 60 years since her 1945 liberatation.

This month North Ryde resident Joyce Bradbury will be heading over to Weifung, China for some very unique celebrations. As a former Prisoner of War she will return to the site of her former captivity to help celebrate 60 years since her 1945 liberatation. The reunion is being organised by the People's Government of Weifung and includes an all expenses paid trip to the prison camp for Mrs Bradbury and her partner.

Bradbury has decided to make it a family affair, taking along her granddaughter and also being accompanied by her three sons. "It will be an exciting time, a great chance to meet up with old friends.

"I don't think it will be traumatising to walk through the old camp now, it has been turned into a hospital and a new war museum, to which I am going to donate a book I have written about Weifung."

The camp was located in Weifung city, "the City of Kites" — which could be said about many in China — and housed Allied prisoners from across the theatre of war.

Bradbury also remembers the good things about her time spent in Weifung during the war.

"Eric Liddel, the Olympic running champion, came to our camp and he kept his identity a secret for a while, until one day when he was organising exercises for the children and he was challenged to a race by some of the adults. Of course he won by miles, and then explained who he was."

"There was also an Australian Trappist Monk who couldn't speak until he had permission from six priests, and once he could speak we couldn't shut him up! He was also one of the biggest dealers on the black market which ran in the prison."

Returning to the place where you spent your formative years is always going to be an exciting time; the fact that that place for Joyce Bradbury is a Japanese prisoner of war camp in China makes the trip even more unique.